


That's Never Stopped Me Before

by Arvari



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Don't Fucking Read This If You Don't Want Spoilers, Fix-It, I'm Serious, Just One Big Spoiler Really, Loki has a heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 20:06:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18645169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arvari/pseuds/Arvari
Summary: "I must say I wasn’t expecting you, but… Well. It’s kind of nice to be surprised from time to time."THIS FIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME.I know I made it pretty clear in the tags, but better safe than sorry, right? Good.If you've already seen the movie or you don't mind spoilers, please, go ahead. :)





	That's Never Stopped Me Before

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I started like an hour after I got back home from the Endgame, right when I stopped sobbing about Tony.  
> If you know me, you know how much I adore Tony Stark. So the moment I walked out of the cinema I knew I just had to find a way to fix his death, at least for me. This little fic does precisely that.  
> In short: I recognise that canon has made a decision. But given that it’s a stupid-ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.

“So… I guess you didn’t make it, either.”

Tony Stark blinked once, then again.

He definitely wasn’t on the battlefield anymore. No, it seemed that he… teleported… into some massive golden hall – seriously, _golden_. Golden floors, golden ceilings, golden columns, golden statues…

Then he realized that he wasn’t in any pain. The half of his body that had been scorched and burning mere moments ago seemed to be completely alright again.

That was when it hit him. He didn’t teleport. He…

“Oh, yes,” said the same voice as before. “Welcome to Valhalla, Stark. I must say I wasn’t expecting _you_ , but… Well. It’s kind of nice to be surprised from time to time. The days here are so dull.”

Tony recognized that voice. There was no mistaking it. He turned his head to see a familiar figure clad in black leather, leaning against one of the golden columns.

“What the… Loki?” he croaked.

“You died in battle. As did I. That means you were given the _honor_ of eternal life in Valhalla. Congratulations. Just don’t get used to me, as I will be leaving soon.”

With that, Loki smirked, turned around and started to walk away.

“Keep up, please,” he called when Tony didn’t make any move to follow him. “I was supposed to welcome you and show you your bedroom.”

“They have bedrooms in Valhalla?” Tony asked, scrambling to his feet. “Wait. What do you mean you will be leaving soon? You’re… You’re _dead_.”

“Oh, Stark. That’s never stopped me before.”

 

He’d been in Valhalla for days. He didn’t know how many. They all tended to blend together. All the gold was driving him insane. And all the warriors he was meeting in the hallways. And all the battle songs.

The only thing he knew was that every day, he seemed to meet Loki. Or Loki seemed to meet him. Only for a few minutes. A little chat, seemingly accidental.

How exactly did Tony die? (“The Gauntlet? Idiot. Did you think you can actually survive it, or did you just decide to _sacrifice_ yourself? Let me guess, sacrifice? _Moron_ _._ ”)

How was Loki’s oaf of a brother doing? (“He’s got _fat_? Oh, I can’t _wait_ to see that!”)

Did it occur to anyone that they could just turn back time? (“It did, but you didn’t do it for… reasons? Oh, dear. What reasons you could have to… No, don’t tell me. I really don’t want to know. You really are just a bunch of idiots _._ ”)

Does Tony like Valhalla? (“No? Oh, trust me, Stark, I understand. I’d take Helheim over this any day, but no one asked me if I wanted to end up in here.”)

Usually, it was Loki who initiated those little chats, who asked the questions, but one day when Loki cornered him in the garden ( _golden_ flowers, like… seriously?), just as the god was opening his mouth, Tony quickly asked a question of his own.

“Tell me, did you really think you can kill Thanos with a butter knife?”

Loki’s mouth closed, just as his eyes narrowed and gave Tony a glare that clearly said that if the genius wasn’t already dead, Loki would kill him right where he stood.

“First, it was a dagger,” he growled. “Second, no, of course I didn’t. But I didn’t think he’d kill me for trying, either. I thought… I thought I’d distract him with it and escape.”

“Of course you did,” Tony nodded, sitting down on a nearby (golden) bench. He wasn’t really tired. He never was. Not once since he came here. He just wanted to sit down. “Hey… Do you have moments when you just… _miss_ something from your life so terribly that you feel like it’s gonna tear you apart?”

“Of course,” Loki sighed, crossing his arms. “My books. The wind in my hair. Sometimes, in my darkest moments, even my oaf of a brother. Why? What do you miss?”

“Oh, you know. The usual,” Tony sighed. “Peter – that… that’s a kid I was kinda mentoring. And I miss my wife. And more than anything, I miss my daughter.”

“You have a _child_?” Loki blinked. “How did that happen?”

“Oh you know, when a man and a woman love each other very much...”

“Shut up. I gave birth to an eight-legged horse, so I know _love_ has nothing to do with it.”

“You did _what_?!”

Loki bit his lower lip and tried to look invisible. It didn’t work. It usually doesn’t when you are a tall, handsome god in black leather.

“You mean Thor didn’t tell you?” he asked when Tony was still staring at him.

“Nope. And now I _definitely_ have to know. Spill the beans, princess. How exactly does a _man_ end up giving birth to a horse?”

“Well,” Loki sighed. “It was when this giant came to Asgard…”

 

Over the next few weeks, they became friends. Well, kind of friends. Tony was perfectly aware that the only reason why Loki was even speaking to him was that Loki didn’t have anyone _else_ to talk to. Apart from all those mighty viking warriors, who were… Well, not the types Loki would be excited to talk to, probably.

“You know,” the god sighed when Tony finally found the guts to ask him about it. “In their eyes, I am unmanly. I use women’s magic. And weapons. Because no _real_ man would ever use a dagger as his first weapon of choice. Also, I like to talk about other things than killing and plundering and raping. In fact, I _don’t_ like to talk about those things at all.”

“I know, right?” Tony laughed. He only ever laughed with Loki. “The other day, a guy asked me how many men I killed. I told him I had no idea and I definitely didn’t want to count and he just… stared at me for a minute and then left without saying another word.”

“Precisely,” Loki smiled. “I must say I cannot wait to leave.”

“Yeah, about that… _How_ do you mean to do it? I hate to break it to you, but you really are _dead_. You’ve been dead for five years. You can’t just… come back to life, can you?”

“I have a plan, Stark.”

“Of course you have. But...”

“I cannot tell you. You would have to ask the queen of Valhalla.”

“Queen? Good. I’m great with women. Do you… Do you think I could… leave, too?”

Loki sighed, focusing his gaze on Tony.

“You still miss your life? Your daughter?”

“You can’t even imagine. Spending an eternity here without her? That’s not a reward. It’s torture.”

Before Loki had a chance to react, there was a cough next to them. When they turned their heads, they saw a young boy, probably not even fifteen years old, shuffling his feet nervously.

“Your Highness,” the boy said. “The Allmother wishes to speak with you.”

“Tell her I’m on my way,” Loki nodded before he turned back to Tony. “See? I told you I have a plan.”

 

The next day, there was no sign of Loki. And yes, Tony actually _looked_ for him. He checked all the places where Loki usually hung out, but Loki was nowhere to be found.

In the end, Tony gave up searching, went into one of the many dining halls and sat down with a jug of mead. That was probably one of the few positive things about this hell of a paradise. Especially since he couldn’t get drunk here.

About ten seconds later, someone sat on a bench on the opposite side of the table. Tony braced himself for another “how many churches did you plunder?” conversation with a bearded viking, but when he looked up, he saw a young man with short blond hair and a neatly trimmed beard.

“Tony Stark of Midgard, right?” the man said. “I am Fandral. We haven’t had the pleasure yet.”

“I was just about to ask if I know you,” Tony smirked. “Thanks for the answer.”

“Well, you don’t know me, but I suppose you know _of_ me,” Fandral replied. When Tony only blinked confusedly, Fandral sighed. “Oh, of course. Typical. I am a friend of Loki. Back in Asgard, I was one of Thor’s friends. Killed by his sister Hela. So… Loki didn’t tell you about me, then?”

“Nope,” Tony said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, but _where_ exactly is Loki now?”

“He didn’t tell you that, either? On a mission. For the Allmother. So she can bring him back to life.”

“Wait. You mean to tell me that when he says he’s gonna be leaving soon… He’s actually serious?”

“Yes,” Fandral nodded. “As far as I know, if you prove yourself worthy by completing a certain set of dangerous tasks, you earn the right to return one soul back to the world of the living. Or something like that.”

“Including your own, right?”

“Well, of course. That’s why Loki’s doing it.”

Tony took a large gulp of his mead.

“Right. Where do I sign up?”

“Oh,” Fandral said, biting his lower lip. “That… might actually be a little problem. The thing is, the energy required to bring a soul back to life is so great that it is only possible once in a hundred years. And since Loki is on his final task...”

Tony felt his heart drop. Oh, no. No, this couldn’t be happening. There was a _chance_ to get his life back and… it was going to be taken away from him?

“Could I talk with this Allmother?” he asked. “Maybe I could convince her to let me try, too. Maybe if Loki fails in this last task...”

“Loki’s never failed. And he’s been working on this for the past five years.”

“Five years?” Tony repeated, his voice weak even to his own ears.

“Yes. He is… Very dedicated,” Fandral nodded. “Ever since he came here, all he wanted was to be brought back to life. When he arrived, he spent twenty minutes yelling at Frigga to put him back into his body immediately because Thor was going to need him. When he learned that you heroes lost against Thanos, he started with the tasks. He said that the time would come when you would have to use the Infinity Stones again and he said he had to be there when it happens.”

“Yeah, well, he wasn’t,” Tony smirked.

“I know. I thinks that’s why he blames himself for-”

“Fandral,” said a voice just behind Tony. “Shut your mouth.”

“Loki. My darling,” Fandral said. “Should I be offended that you didn’t tell your friend about me?”

“Do as you wish. I don’t care,” Loki said, sitting down on a bench next to Tony. “Just do it elsewhere, please.”

“Oh, no, sorry. I am having a nice chat with Tony here.”

“I am aware.”

“I was just about to tell him that you blame yourself for his death.”

The next moment, a dagger missed Fandral’s face so narrowly that it probably trimmed some of his hair. The man didn’t even blink.

“Leave us. Now,” Loki growled. “Or the next one ends up in your forehead.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time,” Fandral shrugged. “You know how things work around here, Loki. You die, you wake up in the morning and go on.”

“I still hope a day will come when _you_ don’t.”

“Now, that’s just mean. For five years, I was your only friend, you shouldn’t-”

“ _Leave_ , Fandral.”

“All right. As you wish. _My prince_.” The man stood up, turning his gaze back to Tony. “I am glad that I met you, Tony Stark of Midgard.”

“Yeah, nice meeting you, too.”

With a last cynical bow to Loki, Fandral left.

“Just asking, but are you sleeping with him or what?” Tony said.

“Why should I be sleeping with him?” Loki blinked.

“Because he definitely looks like he’d love to be sleeping with you.”

“Well… Back in Asgard, we were occasional lovers. Mostly when we got drunk,” Loki shrugged. “But here, he is only my friend. Sort of a friend.”

“Right,” Tony nodded, gathering his courage to ask the next, and more important, question. “So, why do you blame yourself for the fact that I kicked the bucket?”

Loki summoned his own jug of mead and emptied it in one long gulp before he answered.

“Isn’t it obvious? I should have been there. I should have wielded the Stones, not you. Any of you.”

“You mean that you wanted to sacrifice yourself for the good of the Universe? Sorry, but I find that kinda hard to believe.”

“That’s the problem. I’m almost sure that I wouldn’t have died.”

“Hate to break it to you, but the fucking stones nearly killed Thanos, then Hulk, and then they absolutely killed _me_. What makes you think you could have survived?”

“The gauntlet is an idiotic idea.”

“Excuse me? It’s the best way to gather the power of the stones-”

“It’s the best way to bend their power to your will by _force_ , I agree,” Loki nodded. “It’s all you warriors ever do. You solve problems with your muscles. But the Infinity Stones are _magical_ objects. You need finesse to use them, not force. You need a sorcerer.”

“Do you?” Tony growled. “Well, in that case, thanks a lot for getting yourself killed.”

“I tried, Stark. I really _tried_ to come back in time. I’ve spent the past five years doing impossible tasks-”

“Oh, yes. Those tasks. I want to do them, too. And I want _you_ to let me do them _now_ , not in a hundred years.”

Loki frowned.

“What?”

“I want to get out of here. I want to go home.”

“You will never be able to finish just _one_.”

“Clearly you don’t know me.”

“No, Stark,” Loki said, shaking his head. “I cannot let you.”

“You cannot let me what? Try the tasks? Or just leave before you do?”

Loki sighed, but didn’t answer.

“Well. That’s just great,” Tony muttered. He felt his whole being fill with anger he hadn’t felt in years. Stupid, useless, meaningless anger directed at someone who was only partially guilty, but who made the grave mistake of being a perfect scapegoat. “You know, Loki, until today, I thought you were just as alone in here as I am. I thought you had no one. I thought that when you said you were gonna leave, it was just some stupid fantasy.”

“Stark,” Loki said.

“No. Shut it. I’m talking. Because you’ve got… a friend? More than I friend, I’d say. If you two don’t end up in bed together like… today, I’m gonna be _shocked_. And the Allmother? Frigga? _Your_ mother?!”

“I’m gonna kill Fandral,” Loki muttered. “No, I am going to torture him, eviscerate him...”

“I said shut it. I’m not done. Why did you never tell me about that plan of yours? About the _chance_ to go back? Did you just wanna make sure I won’t try to stop you and convince you to let me go first?”

“It’s not like that, Stark.”

“Isn’t it? I’m dead. Apparently, I’m only dead because you, who could have used the fucking Infinity Stones without dying, weren’t there. And you… You want to go back, back to the world _I_ saved from destruction, and leave me stuck _here_ , in this hellhole of a fucking paradise, for the next hundred of years, so when I finally have a chance to go back, everything I love will be _gone_ and _dead_! And why do you even want to go back so much? You screwed up. You weren’t there when you were supposed to be. When we needed you! You have _nothing_ to go back to, except for Thor, who’s gonna live for _thousands_ of years!”

Loki’s face was completely blank as he stood up.

“Come with me,” he said, already heading for the door.

“Hell no,” Tony growled. “You come back. We’re not finished.”

“You’re right.”

When Loki got to the door and it became clear that he had no intention to return to the table, Tony cursed under his breath, jumped to his feet and followed the god. It only took him a few seconds to catch up with him. They walked in silence for a few moments, before Loki took a deep breath.

“Are you aware, Stark, that my mother has a gift of premonition?”

“Uhm,” Tony said. “I think Thor mentioned it.”

“When Thanos killed me, I demanded her to send me back immediately,” Loki said without a single glance at Tony. “She refused. Told me about the tasks. That there were many of them. Dozens, literally.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

“I don’t think that would work. The problem is, she always seemed almost… reluctant to give me a new mission. I begged her to send me out more often. Only days before you showed up here, I asked her to give me the final one, but she refused, claiming she doesn’t have the power to grant me a body yet...”

“A body? Don’t tell me she _revives_ you when she sends you on those missions.”

“Not really,” Loki said, his face so full of sadness that Tony immediately believed him. “It’s only borrowed time. Mere hours. In a body that cannot feel _anything_ except for a moment when it dies. You could stand in a hurricane, the wind whipping your hair, and not feel a slightest breeze. The first time I did this, I drank a whole bottle of the strongest alcohol I could find and… nothing. I didn’t even know what it tasted like.”

“That… sounds horrible, actually,” Tony admitted.

“I know,” Loki nodded. “Anyway. She refused to give me the task. Several days later, she sent me to greet you in Valhalla. And then she encouraged me to keep talking to you.”

“Maybe… she just didn’t want me to be alone in here?”

“Oh, no,” Loki sighed. “You know, my mother knows all too well how to manipulate me. How to make me do exactly what she wants.”

“What does she want you to do?” Tony frowned.

“This,” Loki said, opening the door they’d just reached.

Before Tony could think about it twice, he followed the god inside, into a small private garden full of weird flowers he had never seen before and strangely but beautifully colored birds. There was also a tiny pond in the middle and a beautiful, elegant woman standing right next to it.

“Mother,” Loki said and smiled.

“Loki. Welcome,” the woman replied before her gaze flicked to Tony. “And Anthony Stark.”

“Y-your Majesty,” Tony stuttered, then mentally kicked himself. Was that the right way to address a queen? He _thought_ it was, but...”

“Loki Odinson,” the queen (Allmother, Frigga, Loki’s mum) said, focusing on her son once again. “You have finished all your tasks and earned the right to choose one soul which will be allowed to return to the realms of the living. Have you made your decision yet?”

“I have,” Loki nodded. “I choose Anthony Stark of Midgard.”

It took several seconds for Loki’s words to sink in. It was almost like Tony wasn’t able to _hear_ them at first. But when they finally got to his brain, Tony’s first reaction was an undignified squeak.

“You choose _what_?!” he demanded, turning his head to Loki.

“I wasn’t aware that you were a thing,” Loki smirked, clearly satisfied with the reaction his shocking announcement got him. “I though I was choosing a _who_ , not a _what_.”

“Oh, shut up,” Tony growled. “What the hell do you mean you choose _me_?!”

“Well, I would like to mention that I had made that decision _before_ you started yelling at me, Stark. As for your question, what I mean is that I am saving you. You will be allowed to return to Earth, to your family and your life. Right now.”

“But… But why?” Tony blinked. “You were so excited to be alive again-”

“As you said. All that you love would be gone in a hundred years. What I love and want to get back to will still be there. Well, hopefully. You can never be sure about Thor.”

“Right. And what do you want in exchange?”

“The usual. Don’t screw this second chance up. Don’t get yourself killed again. Maybe mention me in your last will, that might come in handy when I get back. Also, a statue would be nice.”

Tony felt a smile tugging at his lips. No, not a smile. A wide grin. A wide, happy grin of complete disbelief.

“You’ve got it,” he said. “But Loki… Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. It’s only a few more years. I will have more time for my next set of tasks...”

“Yeah, and you have your mum. And I’m sure you and Fandral will be able to find a way to make those years pass a little more quickly...”

“Stark!” Loki hissed.

“Oh, yeah, not in front of your mum. Sorry.”

“Loki?” Frigga said, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Is there something I should know about?”

“Absolutely nothing, mother. The mortal is a terrible moron, that’s all.”

“As you wish.” She smiled knowingly and Tony was pretty sure that she had probably been waiting for five years for those two to finally get together. “Anthony Stark, may we proceed, or is there anything else you would like to say?”

“Just one thing, Your Majesty,” Tony replied. He took a deep breath and before Loki could do anything to stop him, he wrapped his arms around the god and hugged him. “Thank you, Lokes. I mean it. Thank you. It means the world to me. I promise I’ll never forget what you just did for me.”

“You’re welcome. Tony,” Loki said. And was he sounding a little teary-eyed or was it just Tony’s imagination?

“Oh, and tell Fandral I’m saying hi. Shame I’m never gonna see him again. He seems like a great guy.”

“He is… tolerable.”

Tony carefully unwrapped his arms and turned to Frigga.

“Right. I’m ready.”

Frigga smiled at him. “Please, step forward.”

He did. She lifted her hands and a strange silvery mist rose from the pond, heading straight for Tony. It should have been scary, but Tony trusted Frigga. He was sure she knew what she was doing. She had to be.

The mist engulfed him and he closed his eyes.

 

“Will you tell me a bedtime story, dad?” Morgan asked.

Tony grinned. Well, the truth was that he hadn’t stopped grinning for five hours. Ever since he miraculously appeared right in front of his house, alive and breathing.

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I have a perfect one, just for you.”

“Will it be the one about a girl who didn’t wanna sleep?”

“Oh, no. This one is much better. Epic. We probably won’t even finish it today,” he laughed. “It’s about this prince who lived in a castle in the skies. Lots of people didn’t like the prince. They thought he was an asshole. And he kinda was. But somewhere deep inside, he was hiding a heart of gold.”

“What was his name?”

Tony smiled, running his fingers through his daughter’s hair.

“Loki,” he said. “His name was Loki.”


End file.
